WolfTag
by Queen Eli
Summary: In the first installment of the WolfTag series, Mello and his bonded wolf Matt travel to the Wolf Kingdom to compete against Near and his bonded wolf Gevanni for the title of L's, the king's, successor. Based on Black Butler and heavily references it at times. Contains yaoi. MattxMello, LightxL, GevannixNear, and OcxOc. Co-authored by Shadow Lawliet.


_WolfTag_

_Ookami no Tagu_

_At the end of the year 2012, the wolf leaders came to an important decision. The slaughter of the wolves had gone too far to continue; so, using the powerful black magic by the wolfess Hotaru, they gave all wolves the ability to appear human. However, if the wolf is touched by a human, they form a bond with them, marking them with a wolf paw. The more noticeable the wolf paw is, the stronger the bond between the wolf and the human. The wolf has to serve the human until the human is on the verge of death-at that point, the wolf turns the other human into a wolf, therefore making them immortal unless they are killed by another wolf..._

* * *

**Prologue**

_The wolf pup was running. At least he was trying to run._ _The__ pain in his body was making it hard to keep going at a steady pace. Whimpering, he swore he could still hear the coyotes barking behind him. Stumbling, the wolf pup tumbled down a hill and stopped near an open field. Limping out past it, he collapsed in the dirt. As he fainted, he turned into his all-too vulnerable human form, right there, in the open._

_As fate would have it, a young boy was also walking in the woods that day. He came upon the injured boy and crouched before him, curiosity teeming in his eyes. A muffled word left his lips as he reached out, moving the red hair away from the collapsed boy's eyes. As he did so, he saw the eyes flicker open behind the orange-tinted goggles, and he gave a soft yelp. Their eyes connected, and both boys knew nothing would ever be the same from that day on._

**Chapter One**

**Able Wolf**

There the wolf slept by his master's bed. It was where he always slept, should danger arrive in the night and he would have to get up quick to protect his master. The one he was bonded too. As the first rays of sunlight hit his reddish colored fur, the wolf yawned and blinked open large blue eyes. Getting up and stretching, he slowly turned his head to the sun, letting the light glint off his tags. He knew it was time to wake up, and he pulled back the curtains to wake his sleeping master.

"Mello, it's time to get up.

"_Time to wake up . . . ? That can't be right. _Groaning in exasperation, Mello opened his eyes and squinted in the daylight. "Matt, I told you not to wake me up unless it was-" Abruptly Mello saw the clock on the nightstand and swore. _I really need to stop staying up so late._

Forcing himself upright with his lean yet well-muscled arms, Mello reluctantly kicked his blanket away, stretching. The sun felt nice on his bare torso; however, the enjoyment only lasted for a few seconds. Mello stood, his head spinning in protest - all he wanted was to stay in bed. "Where's my jacket and eyepatch?" he asked Matt, shaking his head slightly so that the hair partially covered his eyes. He slept in his pants, so no need to ask where those were. At any rate, Matt hopefully wouldn't mind the grumpy tone of voice. It was only to be expected from a young man who had just gotten out of bed.

In fact, Matt hadn't minded at all. Now in his human form, Matt picked up the jacket and eyepatch, handing them to Mello. "Would you like breakfast?" Matt asked, going back to tie the curtains. The new sun glinted off both tags, making reflections of silver and gold on the walls. Matt himself was hungry, but he never really enjoyed human food. Raw meat was better; he was a wolf after all.

Mello considered the question for a moment as he put the items of clothing on. "Mmh . . . sure. Whatever." He'd never understood all that crap about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, but if Matt was offering, he had no real reason to say no. However, there wasn't any reason to jump up and down in excitement whilst screaming 'OH GOODY YES!' He zipped the leather jacket up and draped his rosary around his neck - Mello kept this one near him at all times - before slipping the eyepatch on. Though it did kill depth perception, at least Mello could feel more secure behind it . . . he didn't want anybody seeing his reddened eye, the one with the of that brought his gaze back over to Matt. "When are you going to eat?" As much as Matt may have been the one carrying out commands, that didn't mean Mello couldn't be concerned for the wolf's well-being.

"I'll eat later. I don't need to eat as often as you do," Matt reminded him, slipping his goggles over his eyes. "Anything in particular you want for breakfast?" For a moment his eyes turned to the birds fluttering outside of the window, and a small yelp of excitement was stifled in his throat before turning back to Mello as he leaned against the door.

"That's right." Mello smirked rather contentedly, not in a cruel sort of way - he was just comfortable here, and smirking was for him a good way to express that. There was only so long before he and Matt had to go back out into the real world, and _that _was certainly cruel. "And I think chocolate-frosted sugar bombs sounds good." The smirk grew into a grin; they didn't even have anything like that.

"I don't think we have anything like that," Matt murmured, tracing a finger along the side of his mouth. "But I'll go get some if you want me to." His straight face cracked into his signature half-smile as he thought of how to cheat some poor human out of their food. Humans were so easy to cheat off of; much easier than wolves that was.

Mello allowed himself a chuckle, one visible eye calm as he gazed at Matt. "Well, if you think you could get your paws on it, be my guest. Or anything we have in the house." He gave an easygoing shrug - evidently Mello was in a better mood today.

"I believe it would be easier just get something we have," Matt told him, slipping out of the door. "Will you meet me in the kitchen, or should I bring it here?"

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," he answered, turning to the window as Matt headed from the room. Narrowing his eyes slightly against the direct sunlight, Mello walked close until the glass was just a few inches away from his face. _It's almost too peaceful . . ._

"Alright." Matt turned and paced down the hall, going to look for breakfast for Mello.

The room suddenly felt so empty. Mello glanced at the doorway with a frown; Matt had only gone elsewhere in the house, after all. There was no need to be so affected by the lack of his wolf's presence. _You survived quite well without Matt before, _he harshly reminded himself, tearing his gaze back to the outdoors.

Soon, Matt returned. "Breakfast is ready," he told him, then went back to the kitchen.

Mello felt a bit more at ease by Matt's reappearance. He was quick to follow him to the kitchen, though he kept his expression neutral. "Thanks," he told Matt, picking his plate up and biting into a piece of toast - covered in nutella - while standing.

Matt turned and noticed a cat passing by out the window, so he leaned out and lovingly cooed out to her. She came over, and he stroked her ears.

"Cats are awesome."

Mello watched Matt skeptically for a few moments. He couldn't keep his mouth shut for long, though. Despite the half-chewed food inside, he spoke, "I don't get how you should even stand cats. You're a _wolf_. Aren't canines not supposed to get along with felines?" Though his expression was serious, Mello was _mostly _just joking.

Matt turned to Mello, the cat scampering away from the window. "Contrary to popular belief, we wolves actually get along quite well with felines. It's those dogs that ruin our name and make it seem like we hate them. Dogs, with their horrible barking...how did that even happen? We wolves howl, not bark." Matt watched the window for a second, before sighing.

Mello turned one corner of his mouth up in an amused, teasing smile, not taking his eyes off Matt. "Thank God for that much. You, having the ability to bark . . . that would be hell."

Matt scoffed. "Barking is loud and barbaric. Why would I have the ability to make such a detrimental noise?"

"That's a good point. You're not loud and barbaric at all - more like cute and fuzzy." Mello was definitely being a tease now, the half-smile turning to a grin.

Matt frowned. "I'm not fuzzy," he protested. "My fur is long and sleek, not fuzzy. Puppies are fuzzy."

"But you're as cute as a puppy," Mello insisted, eyes sparkling with silent laughter. "And I'm sure you're fuzzy on the inside, aren't you?"

Matt tilted his head slightly. "Why would I be furry on the inside?" he asked, voice tinted with laughter.

Mello shrugged innocently. "Because that's what it means to be adorable?" he suggested. "Just look at you. The signs of inner fuzziness are obvious!"

"Oh really?" Matt laughed, eyes sparkling behind his tinted goggles.

Mello just smirked in response and, finally, took another bite of the nutella-covered toast.

Looking outside, Matt frowned. Through the open window, his sensitive nose could detect the scent of another human and wolf. "Excuse me for a second." Turning into his wolf form, he jumped out of the window, hiding under some bushes for cover.

Mello scowled slightly as Matt left. _Jeez . . . how's that for abrupt. _He meandered to the window, peering out, though staying somewhat hidden - he could just barely see out, and would see if somebody suddenly appeared in the windowframe, but that was the extent of it.

"Well, here's the place." Liz said, leaning against a tree and looking boredly up at the house. "The King's new choices for heirs. Pretty nice, eh Jonathan?" Liz asked, looking down at her russet and black colored wolf.

Matt's eyes narrowed as he shifted his shoulders. _This girl...she has a wolf. If the wind shifts even slightly and he scents me...ah, I really don't feel like fighting right now._

The wolf, Jonathan glared up at the house, the fur along his spine creeping up. "Yeah, I guess it's all right," he mumbled. "There's somebody already here, though . . ."

Liz scoffed. "Well of course there's someone in there. 'Cmon, you scaredy cat," she teased, dragging the wolf in the direction of the door.

Voices. Mello heard voices. He tensed and held his breath, trying to make out just what was going on. It sounded like some girl - she didn't sound like much of a threat, but you could never tell. _Matt, you better not get yourself into trouble, or so help me . . . I'll kill whoever lays a hand on you._

Jonathan growled faintly, though not at Liz - this just had the potential to be a hostile environment, which certainly warranted a hostile attitude. "I can walk by myself!" he protested, though didn't quite struggle against her - he didn't really have it in him to resist her.

Suddenly, though, it seemed as if one of the scents became stronger. He growled again, this time narrowing his eyes and completely flattening his ears. "I _smell _something."

"What is it Lassie? Timmy stuck in the well?" Liz chided, and laughed. "No, really, what's the problem?"

Matt held his breath and ducked down beneath the bushes. _Don't come over here, _he thought to himself, the fur on his back and spine beginning to rise.

"I think there's another wolf," he spoke through clenched teeth, voice nearly a snarl. "Close by."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Liz shrugged.

Moving quickly, Matt decided to show himself. Going up to the intruders, he growled softly, tail stiffly wagging from side to side."...Guess you were right."

**[HELLO MY LOYAL READERS! So, something here to prove to you that I am indeed alive and not dead! I know I should be updating the Hellcats sequel or 300 Anime Characters or something like that, but I've been in a lot of real-life turmoil lately and am only starting to put things back together and get back into a routine. SO, enjoy this new fanfiction that was co-authored by the lovely Shadow Lawliet here on ! Ciao~]**


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